The Original Transformers: Season Four
by jasonstoneface
Summary: A continuation of the original Transformers cartoon after the events of "The Rebirth."
1. Episode 99

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the Transformers. Hasbro and Dreamwave do (lucky them). So don't sue me, please. I also don't own the way I've brought back a certain character. Sergeant Pepper lays claim to that.

Author's Note: I have decided to write my Transformers stories as one big ongoing series. This is a continuation of the original cartoon. In other words, this is a virtual Season 4, picking up after the events in "The Rebirth." After watching all 98 episodes of the original cartoon and the movie, this is what I came up with. Some of my borrowed stories I will still use (with permission, of course) but for the most part, I want to be more original. Enjoy!

The Transformers

Episode 99: Death and Resurrection–Part 1

The Decepticon super-robot Scorponok was drifting through space, piloted by Galvatron and Lord Zarak of Nebulos. "It's a miracle we finally got this flying junkpile of yours stabilized!" said Galvatron angrily.

"You were the idiot who opened the Plasma Energy Chamber, Galvatron," said Zarak boldly.

"Silence!" yelled the insane Decepticon leader. "There is much to do. We will attack other planets, we will suck them dry, we will rebuild a planet a hundred times more powerful than Cybertron. And I will rule the galaxy!"

"Who will rule the galaxy?"

"Me! It is my destiny!"

"We shall see, Galvatron," said Zarak, treason on his mind. "We shall see."

*Three Years Later*

It is the year 2010. The Autobots are in complete control of Cybertron, in the midst of its second Golden Age. The Decepticons have not been seen or heard from since the disastrous incident with the Plasma Energy Chamber. They have been attacking remote worlds, stocking up on much-needed Energon cubes for survival. They are now planning to return to the burned out planet of Charr, and begin their dreams of conquest anew.

As Soundwave, the Decepticon communications officer piloted Scorponok, Cyclonus and Scourge were talking with Galvatron nearby. Cyclonus, Galvatron's ever-loyal second-in-command said, "We are approaching Charr."

"Good," said Galvatron smiling evilly. "Once we land, we will take a week to rest up and reenergize. And then, we can finally begin our long-awaited conquest of the Universe." Galvatron's maniacal laughter echoed throughout the room.

Soundwave heard this and frowned. It soon disappeared as he thought, 'A week. Perfect. That will be all the time I need to finish my long-delayed project.'

He then noticed a faint energy signature. He amplified it and was surprised to find that it was Cybertron! Somehow, still in existence and charged with more energy than would ever be needed! He was relieved to know that Cybertron still existed, but knew that Galvatron would be furious. He looked over his shoulder and said, "Galvatron, I am picking up strong energy readings! It is Cybertron!"

"What?" asked the Decepticon leader in disbelief. He ran to where Soundwave was sitting and noticed that what he said was true. "No! I destroyed Cybertron! And Earth! I destroyed it all!" He then furiously punched out the monitor. Soundwave quickly crouched to the ground. Galvatron was in a fit of rage. He turned and began firing his powerful arm cannon. All Decepticons in the room ran, ducked, and cowered in fear. Some were even unfortunate enough to be hit by Galvatron's cannon fire. When he finally calmed down, he said, "Everyone wounded, get to the repair bay. Then reenergize. Soundwave, change course. We attack Cybertron now!"

Soundwave slowly got back to piloting Scorponok and said, "As you command, Galvatron." He knew the futility of this. He knew that the Autobots' numbers were much greater than theirs. But he was also smart enough not to defy Galvatron, for he was insane enough to blow Soundwave to bits for disobedience without thinking twice. Or at all. Plus, his secret "project" depended on him being alive.

On Cybertron, Hot Rod, Blurr, and Wheelie were racing through the Maze in their vehicle modes. There were no obstacles here, just a straight-up race. Blurr won easily. By the time Hot Rod and Wheelie were finished, Blurr was just standing there waiting for them in robot mode. Hot Rod and Wheelie transformed as Blurr bragged in his hyper-speed voice, "See,see,ItoldyouIwasgoingtowin! Itoldyou,Itoldyou,Itoldyou!"

Irritated, Hot Rod said, "Alright, Blurr, you've made your point."

"Yeah," said Wheelie in his annoying high-pitched voice. "Don't rub it in. We knew you'd win."

"Attack!" yelled a maniacal voice. The three Autobots turned and dived aside just in time as a blast from Galvatron's cannon hit the ground. Hot Rod stood up slowly to see Galvatron land with Cyclonus by his side.

Galvatron smiled and said, "Hello, Rodimus. Or should I say Hot Rod?" He then fired his arm cannon. Hot Rod was barely able to dodge. He and his two friends were able to hide behind one of the Maze's many walls and tried to fight back.

Back at the Autobot city of Iacon, Daniel Witwicky, now 15 years old, was sitting at the radar screen bored. After the injuries he had sustained on Nebulos healed, he decided to break his binary bond as Arcee's HeadMaster partner. He had learned much about Cybertronian technology over the past three years. But sometimes, he wished that the Autobots and Decepticons were still going at it. He immediately got his wish as the radar started to blip like crazy! He immediately tapped into the communications systems and said, "Optimus Prime, this is Daniel! I'm picking up Decepticons heading for Iacon!"

Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Kup, and Jazz were playing Poker. As he shuffled the cards, Jazz smiled and said, "Alright, folks, this is for all the marbles."

However, they were interrupted by Daniel's message. "I repeat, Decepticons are heading for Iacon!"

Prime answered the message console. "What? Are you sure?"

"Positive," came the boy's frantic reply. "They're approaching fast!"

Optimus said, "Contact all Autobots in Iacon. Have them prepare for battle!"

"On it!"

All Autobots in Iacon either prepared their battle stations or began heading out to face the oncoming forces head-on. This particular force was led by Scourge, followed by his Sweeps. Close behind were the Predacons (merged as Predaking) and the Terrorcons (merged as Abominus). Slugslinger, Misfire, and Triggerhappy were attacking from the air in their jet modes. Optimus Prime led the charge out of Iacon in his semi-truck mode, joined by Ultra Magnus, Kup, Jazz, and various other Autobots.

Elsewhere, Omega Supreme was fighting Devastator, the combined form of the Constructicons. Spike Witwicky, Daniel's father and long-time human Autobot ally was able to use Fortress Maximus to fight off Scorponok. Cerebros was on Nebulos living in peace now that it was free from the Hive. Scorponok was attacking in scorpion mode, while Fort Max was able to fight it off with sheer firepower in battle station mode. The power in Scorponok's tail gun and other weapons was no match for the seemingly endless artillery within Fortress Maximus. But Spike wondered why Scorponok wasn't transforming to robot mode. 'I wondered what happened to Zarak,' he thought. 'Not that I'm complaining.' As Scorponok finally fell in defeat (but not deactivation), Spike, who had been rocked quite a bit himself from the fight let out a large breath and said, "I'm getting too old for this."

All over Cybertron, fighting was going on. The Decepticons never stood a chance

Hot Rod and Blurr were able to simultaneously hit Cyclonus, knocking him down. Galvatron stopped firing, turned, and watched him fall. He yelled, "Get up and fight, you incompetent fool!"

Using this distraction, Wheelie dove from his hiding place, firing his gun. Galvatron cried out as he was hit in the chest. Ignoring the pain, he yelled, "You little weakling! You'll pay for that!" He transformed to cannon mode and let loose the most powerful blast he could. Wheelie never had a chance to dodge.

Wheelie screamed as he was gunned down. Hot Rod yelled, "Wheelie!" He and Blurr began firing on the Decepticon leader. He was hit and transformed back to robot mode.

Galvatron growled at the two of them and said, "You fools! No one defeats Galvatron!" He fired his arm cannon. Hot Rod and Blurr were barely able to get out of the way. Seeing them down, Galvatron smiled and turned his attention back to the fallen Wheelie. He was badly damaged and unable to get up. Galvatron smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll make your death quick and painless. Well, quick anyway." He pointed his cannon at the much smaller Autobot and blasted him. Wheelie's whole body was turned to dust. Wheelie was dead. Galvatron laughed maniacally.

Hot Rod and Blurr got up just in time to see Wheelie terminated. Blurr said, "Ohno,ohno,ohno! GalvatrondestroyedWheelie! Whatarewegoingtodo,HotRod? Huh,huh,whatarewegoingtodo!"

"We'll make Galvatron pay!" yelled Hot Rod. He and Blurr then began firing on Galvatron. Galvatron yelled out in pain as he was hit with the barrage.

Cyclonus got up and saw his leader being fired upon. "No!" He fired his weapon, hitting both Hot Rod and Blurr. He then approached his fallen leader and picked him up. He activated a communicator in his arm and said, "Decepticons retreat! Galvatron is hurt!"

As Soundwave and his cassettes picked up the order to retreat, Rumble said sarcastically, "Whoop-dee-doo." Soon all the Decepticons were leaving.

As the Decepticons retreated, Goldbug (formerly Bumblebee) said, "That's weird. They're pulling out."

"But why?" asked Arcee.

"Who cares," said Springer. "We won!"

Back at Iacon, Optimus Prime received a message from Hot Rod. "Optimus Prime, this is Hot Rod, acknowledge."

Answering the call, Prime asked, "Hot Rod, are you okay?"

"Blurr and I are fine, but Galvatron destroyed Wheelie."

Perceptor approached the Autobot leader and said, "Also, a cursory evaluation indicates some casualties, but very few."

Optimus shook his head and said, "We can be thankful for a decisive victory today, Autobots. But next time, we might not be so lucky."

"Why not, Prime?" asked Kup. "Their numbers are depleted thanks to Unicron, not to mention Galvatron himself. The only reason they aren't extinct is because we haven't hunted them down."

"We haven't hunted them down because we have no idea where they've been the last three years," said Ultra Magnus. "This was their first attack since Cybertron was restored."

"But in either case," said Prime, "the Decepticons are back. And though their numbers are fewer than ours, we still must not take them lightly. Trust me, they'll be back." All Autobots present were inclined to agree.

Back on Charr, the Decepticons who either didn't need repairs or already were repaired were taking what Energon cubes they needed and storing the rest in a large room. "Ah, home sweet home," said the Combaticon Swindle.

"Home? Bah!" complained Slugslinger. "Cybertron was home! And thanks to both Unicron and Galvatron, we may never have a chance to go home again! It's a miracle none of us were killed today!"

"I wish Megatron was still here," said Sixshot. "Now, HE was leader you could look up to."

"Pretty big talk, coming from you, Sixshot," said Astrotrain. "But, yes, you're right. I know I tried to take power from him a few times, but he was the one who led us when Cybertron was ours. I used to believe Megatron and Galvatron were the same guy," said Astrotrain. "Now I'm not so sure."

'You have no idea, Astrotrain,' thought Soundwave as he took some Energon cubes. Knowing that the others thought of him as a loner, he snuck out and flew off. But he wasn't headed to his personal quarters. 

Far away from the main base on Charr, he entered an underground laboratory he had tunneled for himself and set the Energon cubes down. He approached a nearby table covered with a sheet. He pulled the sheet off. On the table was the body of a silvery-grey robot with a large black fusion cannon mounted on his right arm: The great Decepticon leader Megatron.

As he began working on the inert body, Soundwave thought, 'My project cannot wait any longer. It must be completed now.' As he began working, he thought back to a moment five Earth years ago.

*Flashback*

Astrotrain was flying through space in his shuttle mode. Soundwave was holding Megatron's barely-functional body near the back. Starscream was near the front of the shuttle. Megatron said weakly, "I know that the first chance he gets, Starscream is going to throw me into space. Let him. I fear I may be damaged beyond repair. Quickly, it is time."

A panel on Megatrons chest opened up and a cable came out. It attached to Soundwave's forehead and began making a download that Soundwave recorded. "There. I have downloaded my memories and personality into your memory banks. Make absolutely sure it doesn't get erased. Now, leave me. Get me rebuilt and restored as soon as possible."

"Yes, Megatron."

*End Flashback*

After several hours of non-stop work, Soundwave finished working on the body. He looked at it and nodded in satisfaction. He then took some of the Energon cubes and attached cables to them and parts of Megatron's body. Soundwave waited patiently as Energon was pumped into the body. Once it was done, Soundwave opened a panel on Megatron's forehead. He then transformed to tape deck mode and a cable came out from the side. It inserted itself into Megatron's forehead and began downloading Megatron's memories into the body.

Once it was done, the cable reeled itself back in and the access panel on Megatron's forehead closed automatically. Soundwave transformed back to robot mode. He stood over the body and waited patiently. A few moments later, Megatron's optics powered up. Consciousness began to return. He looked up trying to get a clear view of his most loyal follower. "S-Soundwave?"

In his monotonic sing-song voice, he said, "Yes, Megatron?"

"What . . . has happened?"

To Be Continued


	2. Episode 100

Author's note: Two more character resurrections will occur here. The idea on how to do this (and some of the dialogue) belongs to T J Fosko at Lexicon. And, T J, if you read this, I wanted to contact you, but I couldn't. So if you want this removed or altered, I will.

The Transformers

Episode 100: Death and Resurrection–Part 2

Soundwave has just filled Megatron in on what has happened the last five years: Unicron, Starscream's death, the Quintessons, the Autobots retaking control of Cybertron, Galvatron's insanity, Optimus Prime's resurrection, and the restoration of Cybertron's Golden Age. And it sickens him.

"I don't believe this," said Megatron in disgust. "Not only did we lose Cybertron and land on this miserable rock, but this Galvatron character has nearly run this once-great army into the ground. Not to mention it took me a lifetime to finally kill Optimus Prime. And now he too is back. But no matter. There will come a time in which I will have the chance to destroy him again. Right now, there are more immediate concerns. Soundwave, are you sure this Galvatron was once me?"

"Affirmative," answered Soundwave. "I have read his mind many times. I have felt two conflicting personalities within, constantly fighting for dominance. Your persona is intact, but buried deep. I doubt anything could bring it out. As to how this is possible, my best guess is that Unicron must've somehow made you into him. At first, he was more like you than he is now. But after landing in a plasma pit on Thrull, his psyche was completely fractured. It may have also shattered, or at least suppressed, any memories he had of being you."

Megatron nodded and said, "I wouldn't doubt it. Come, Soundwave! It is time for me to take back my rightful place as leader of the Decepticons."

If Soundwave had a mouth, he would be smiling. Instead, he simply said, "As you command, Megatron."

Galvatron walked out of the repair bay and grumbled, "I hate wasting my time on cursed repairs." Cyclonus and Scourge dared not say anything, nor did the Constructicons. The party walked into the main room of the Decepticon base to be greeted by a surprising sight: all of the Decepticons were gathered, staring at Galvatron and his group. Galvatron asked, "What are you all doing here? I never called for a meeting!"

"No, but I did," came a voice that was unfamiliar to Galvatron. He turned to the source of the voice and noticed the silvery-grey stranger with Soundwave at his side.

Galvatron said, "You! Who are you?"

The stranger didn't answer. Instead, he said, "You disgust me. What was I thinking, letting Unicron turn me into you? You've reduced this empire to a laughing stock. I will not allow it any longer."

"Soundwave," ordered Galvatron, "destroy him!" Soundwave just stood there and crossed his arms over his chest. "Destroy him! I command you to destroy him!"

Both Soundwave and the stranger laughed. Galvatron couldn't believe it! Soundwave had seemed so loyal to him!

The stranger smiled at his shock and said, "I know what you're thinking, Galvatron. Soundwave was never loyal to you. He has been playing you for the fool all this time, waiting for the right time to bring me back. You have something of mine; namely leadership of the Decepticons. I want it back. I challenge you to a duel. A duel to the death!"

Galvatron laughed and said, "A duel? Against me? Optimus Prime couldn't defeat me. What makes you think you can?"

"Because I am not Optimus Prime. I am Megatron, rightful ruler of all Decepticons!"

Galvatron gritted what would be his teeth and growled angrily. How dare this stranger come barging in, declaring himself rightful Decepticon leader? Galvatron was the leader! He looked at all Decepticons present, including Cyclonus and Scourge, and said, "The first of you to interfere in this affair will answer to me." He then turned to Soundwave and said, "And, Soundwave, you will pay dearly for your treason after I've obliterated this upstart!"

Soundwave didn't even flinch. "You will not live to carry out that threat."

Megatron and Galvatron slowly approached one another, staring each other down. Finally Galvatron said, "Let's do this!" He let loose the most powerful blast his arm cannon could muster. Megatron easily dodged.

"Almost, Galvatron. But almost doesn't get the job done." He then charged the insane Decepticon leader and tackled him hard. He then began to mercilessly pound his face with both fists. Out of sheer rage, Galvatron kicked him off.

"Fool! I am invincible!" He then changed to cannon mode and began firing repeatedly. Megatron leaped into the air. Galvatron fired toward the sky, but Megatron easily dodged. Megatron fired his fusion cannon, hitting Galvatron where he sat and causing him to transform back to robot mode.

As Galvatron tried to regain his bearings, Megatron changed his right hand into his energy mace. Galvatron was barely able to roll out of the way as Megatron descended and slammed his mace into the ground. Galvatron took the opportunity to quickly get up and land a punch to jaw. Because of Unicron's upgrades, the punch was strong enough to send Megatron flying ten feet before landing hard on the ground. Megatron was barely able to get to one knee before a blast from Galvatron's cannon hit him in the chest, knocking him back down.

Galvatron approached his fallen opponent and laughed. As he pointed his arm cannon, he boasted, "Now we shall see who is truly fit to lead the Decepticons!"

This was all the time Megatron needed. He knocked Galvatron's weapon away with his mace. As Galvatron held his arm in surprise, Megatron quickly stepped up and kicked him down with his left leg. Without hesitating, he then slammed his mace into Galvatron's chest as hard as he could. Galvatron screamed in pain as the mace hit some vital systems.

Megatron smiled at his pain as his mace dissipated. His smile then disappeared as he said, "You call yourself leader of the Decepticons? Pathetic. You couldn't even defeat that amateur Rodimus Prime! You remind me of Starscream: Power-hungry, irrational, a disgrace to all Decepticons. I had built this army into an empire. Cybertron was ours. The Autobots were on the verge of extinction. And soon, we would've been rulers of the Universe. My only mistake was Starscream. If I had terminated him when I had the chance, Cybertron might still be ours, even after Unicron's attack. But now that I'm back, I won't make that mistake with you. Farewell, Galvatron."

Megatron transformed into gun mode and aimed directly for Galvatron's face. He fired the strongest blast possible, causing an explosion. Megatron transformed back to robot mode to look at his handiwork. When the smoke cleared, Megatron smiled. Galvatron's face had not only been destroyed, the visible damage to his head was impossible to describe. The bottom line, Galvatron's head was permanently destroyed. He would never come back. This was confirmed as his body turned grey, the sure sign that a Transformer was dead. Megatron frowned as he said, "Good riddance."

All the Decepticons cheered, except Cyclonus and Scourge. Megatron looked at them and slowly approached them, still frowning. The cheering died down as the Decepticons looked on. When he reached them, Megatron stared at them for several moments, his expression never changing. Finally, he asked the large purple warrior, "What is your name?"

"Cyclonus."

Turning to the bearded blue robot, Megatron asked, "And you?"

"Scourge."

"It's my understanding that the two of you were Galvatron's most loyal followers. Is that true?"

The two Unicron-created Decepticons glanced at each other nervously (though you couldn't see it on Cyclonus' face) before looking back to Megatron. Cyclonus answered, "Yes, you are correct."

"That being the case," began Megatron, "I have every reason to dispose of the both of you. Unless you pledge yourselves to me. Is that understood?"

Cyclonus and Scourge glanced at each other again. Cyclonus answered and said, "Understood. You have my total obedience, so long as we defeat the Autobots."

It was Scourge's turn now. "I will gladly serve you. I swear to serve with complete loyalty."

"See that you do," snarled Megatron. "Because I warn you, any sign of treason, and I will obliterate you without a second thought! Do I make myself clear?"

Once more, Cyclonus and Scourge glanced at each other. They looked back to Megatron and said in unison, "Hail, Megatron!"

Megatron smiled and said, "Very good. Very, VERY good." He then turned to the rest of the assembled Decepticons. "Decepticons, your leader has returned!" The cheers that followed were resounding.

As soon as the cheers died down, Megatron approached Scrapper of the Constructicons. "Scrapper," he said, "I have a job for you." He then turned away from Scrapper and pointed to Galvatron's corpse, saying, "And somebody take this body to a place where it can be melted down. I never want to see it again."

Astrotrain was flying through space in his space shuttle mode. As he flew, he asked, "Megatron, if you don't mind asking, why did you have Galvatron's body melted down? He was already dead."

"I just wanted to make certain that there was no way he could be reactivated," answered Megatron. "Not like Optimus Prime was."

Astrotrain said nothing as he continued to trek towards Cybertron. However, his destination was not Cybertron. He said, "We're approaching the head of Unicron."

"Good," said Megatron. "Proceed to land."

Astrotrain flew in through one of Unicron's shattered eyes. He landed and opened up his hatch. Megatron and Soundwave (carrying some type of cerebral interface helmet) stepped out with Cyclonus close behind. Following were Scrapper and fellow Constructicon Long Haul in vehicle mode. In his back dump were two metal crates. Rumble, Frenzy, and the rest of the Constructicons then stepped out, carrying explosives. Once all passengers exited, Astrotrain transformed to robot mode and looked around. "Boy, this place is creepy. Why are we even here?"

"Do not worry, Astrotrain," said Megatron. "Unicron is dead. To answer your question, if it's true that Unicron made me into Galvatron, then it's possible that the Decepticons who were thrown into space with me were also reformatted. And when we're done here, it will be as if this place never existed. Get the explosives set. The rest of you, follow me. Cyclonus, lead the way to the memory bank."

"Yes, Megatron," said Cyclonus emotionlessly. A short walk later, Cyclonus pointed and said, "There it is."

Megatron led the way towards Unicron's memory bank. "Soundwave, are they in there?"

Soundwave accessed the memory monitor. After a quick search, he said, "Affirmative."

Megatron smiled and said, "Excellent." He turned to Scrapper and Long Haul, saying, "Bring the crates over here."

Scrapper pulled the crates out of the back of Long Haul. Long Haul then transformed to robot mode and helped Scrapper push the crates close to the memory bank. The crates were then opened. Inside one crate was a mostly blue body, while the other held a black and purple body. Megatron smiled and said, "Perfect. Even better than the originals. You and the Constructicons did an excellent job, Scrapper."

"Thank you, Mighty Megatron," said Scrapper proudly. If he had a mouth, he would definitely be smiling.

"It's a good thing we had the materials we needed to build them," said Long Haul. "It took Soundwave five years to rebuild you, mostly because of lack of materials."

"But are you sure this is going to work, sir?" asked Scrapper. "I don't mean to question you, but the success of this operation is not guaranteed."

Megatron placed a reassuring hand on Scrapper's shoulder. "Do not worry, Scrapper. I am fully aware of the uncertainties of this procedure. If we are unsuccessful, I am not out of options."

"Besides," added Astrotrain, "once we're done here, successful or not, Unicron won't be around to frighten us anymore."

Megatron smiled and said, "Well said, Astrotrain. Soundwave, begin the procedure."

"Yes, Megatron." Soundwave put the interface helmet on and attached two cables that ran from it into the heads of the bodies. Cables then came out of his fingers and plugged into the memory bank. Power ran from the bank, through Soundwave, into the interface helmet, through the cables and into the bodies. Moments later, Soundwave took off the helmet and said, "Transfer complete."

Moments later, the bodies began to stir. The black and purple robot spoke first. "W-what happened?"

"The last thing I remember was being dumped into space," said the blue robot.

"Skywarp, Thundercracker, welcome back to the land of the living," said a voice familiar to the two robots.

They turned and said in surprise and unison, "Megatron!"

"What's going on here?" asked Skywarp. "Where are we?"

"The two of you have been gone for five years now," said Megatron. "Come, Soundwave will fill you in on the trip back." He then hit a button near his midsection and said, "Decepticons, we go."

But before anyone could move, a weak voice said, "WHO. . . STEALS. . . FROM UNICRON? ALL INTRUDERS. . . PERISH!" Unicron's internal defenses activated. The Decepticon party was hit, but with little effect.

"What the. . .?" asked Skywarp.

Megatron frowned and said, "Unicron. It appears his might is not what it used to be. Decepticons, leave. I will join you shortly. I have a score to settle." All the Decepticons left without hesitation.

Megatron yelled and fired his fusion cannon repeatedly. He punched and smashed everything he could get his hands on. Monitors shattered, walls crumbled. It was fifteen minutes of sweet revenge. To top it all off, he transformed to gun mode and fired shot after shot. When he transformed back to robot mode, he smiled and nodded in satisfaction. "This is what happens to anyone who stands in my way." His laughter afterwards echoed throughout Unicron's head.

Astrotrain was flying away from Unicron's head. When they were out of reach, Megatron ordered, "Turn us around." Astrotrain complied, turning until Unicron's head was visible from the viewport. Megatron stood up front with his gathered party and smiled. "My warriors, I give you the birth of the new Decepticon empire." He then pressed a button on a small device to activate the explosives.

Spike and Carly Witwicky were standing on the highest balcony on Cybertron, looking up at the stars. Spike smiled and asked his wife, "Isn't the view terrific, Carly?"

Carly smiled and said, "It sure is, Spike. I tell you, as many nights as I've spent looking at the stars, the view still amazes me."

Spike looked at Carly, who returned the look. "Indeed. The wonders are infinite." They smiled at each other and were about to kiss when an explosion in the distance caught their attention.

When the explosion died down after several seconds, Carly asked, "What was that?"

"I don't know," admitted Spike. "But something tells me I don't want to find out."

Back inside Astrotrain, the gathered Decepticons watched as the head of Unicron exploded. Once the explosion died down, Megatron smiled. 

"Astrotrain, return to Charr. Our work here is done."

Astrotrain did as he was told. Soon the Decepticons would rise once again.

The End


	3. Episode 101

Author's Note: Some of the stuff in this story is borrowed from Robert A. Jung's "Legacy."

The Transformers

Episode 101: Thefts and Secrets--Part 1

Megatron walked through the room on Charr as the Constructicons and some other Decepticons worked on some bodies for new warriors. He and Soundwave approached Scorponok, which was in city mode. Megatron asked, "Whatever happened to Lord Zarak and this Scorponok character?"

"Zarak eventually expired," answered Soundwave. "He was, in essence, Scorponok's personality. Once he died, we eliminated the Nebulons from our ranks completely. We can operate Scorponok manually, but without a head, he can't transform to robot form."

"So, we have a powerful super robot, but no personality for him to function properly," mused Megatron. "We must somehow correct this problem."

A voice then said, "He's here." The voice belonged to Sixshot.

Megatron turned to the six-changer to see Blitzwing with him. Blitzwing gasped and asked, "Megatron? But. . . I thought you were. . ."

"It's alright, Blitzwing," said Megatron. "Galvatron is no more. I am back. I know all about how Galvatron exiled you from the Decepticon ranks. I am offering you a chance to rejoin."

Blitzwing stuttered and asked, "Y-you really mean it? You're not angry that I had to help the Autobots in order to save Cybertron and stop the Quintessons?"

Megatron chuckled and said, "No, I'm not angry. If I had been in your place, I'd have done the same thing. Sometimes, circumstances force one to team with his enemies. As long as you serve with complete loyalty, you are perfectly welcome in my army."

Blitzwing now knew that Megatron was telling the truth. He smiled and said, "Hail Megatron!"

Megatron smiled and said, "Welcome back to the Decepticons."

As Blitzwing saluted and went to greet some of his old buddies, Megatron turned to Soundwave and said, "Tell me more about these Quintessons. You say they are supposedly the creators of Cybertron?"

Soundwave nodded and said, "That is what they claim. But from what I have been able to ascertain of them, they are nothing but weak cowards, better suited for scheming than fighting."

Megatron nodded, taking in the information. He had suspected as much. What he couldn't understand though was why Galvatron had let them remain a nuisance all this time. It didn't matter. This just further drove down his already low opinion of his successor and predecessor. He was pulled out of his reverie when Scrapper said, "Megatron, we've finished almost 20 bodies, but we're almost out of materials."

"Don't worry, Scrapper," said Megatron. "I have an idea on how to get more. Soundwave, see if you can locate where the Quintessons are now."

"As you command, Megatron."

Back on Cybertron, Optimus Prime asked, "Are you sure?"

"Affirmative," said Perceptor with a nod. "The head of Unicron is gone. We believe that is what Spike and Carly saw last night."

"Do you think the Decepticons are behind this?" asked Spike.

"We have no proof of that, Spike," answered Optimus. "Nevertheless, we must still consider that a possibility." He then hit a button on a console and said, "Sky Lynx, I want you to prepare for takeoff. We're going to Charr."

Sky Lynx landed on the far side of Charr so he and his passengers wouldn't be detected. "This is about as close as we an get to the Decepticons' main base without being discovered," said Hot Rod.

Optimus nodded. "Blaster," he ordered, "dispatch Steeljaw. We can safely discover what the Decepticons are up to from here."

"Gotcha, Optimus," said the Autobot communications officer. He walked to the hatch and Sky Lynx opened it. Blaster pressed a button on his chest and said, "Steeljaw, transform. Find the Decepticons and give us some recon!"

A tape flew out of Blaster's chest and transformed into a small lion. Steeljaw roared and ran off.

As Steeljaw surveyed the area, he sent radio signals back to Blaster, who received them in radio mode. He transformed back to robot mode and said, "That's weird. Steeljaw says they're not here."

"Then you've wasted my precious time?" asked Sky Lynx angrily and irritably.

"I don't like this," said Hot Rod. "It was only a few days ago that the Decepticons attacked Cybertron. And now, they're gone, just like that?"

"Me Grimlock say Decepticons run away," said the Dinobot leader. "Me say Decepticons gone forever!"

"I wish I could believe that, Grimlock," said Optimus Prime with a sigh.

The Quintessons' current home planet was in ruins. Lying all around were several dead officers, judges, magistrates, and Sharkticons. To say this was an easy victory would be an understatement. As seemingly endless building supplies were loaded into Scorponok and Trypticon, Megatron smiled. A decisive victory was just what his army needed to boost their morale. He knew that a victory over the Autobots would be more encouraging, but at the same time, he also knew that there was absolutely no way he could conquer Cybertron with the meager numbers he had.

The Quintessons were just as weak as Soundwave had predicted. The pathetic Sharkticons didn't stand a chance, especially against the combined might of Devastator, Menasor, Bruticus, Predaking, and Abominus. Trypticon made the fight that much easier. Even Scorponok, despite having to be operated manually, did a lot of damage.

As Megatron watched the supplies being loaded, Scourge approached him. "Megatron, sir?"

His back turned to the leader of the Sweeps, Megatron responded, "What is it, Scourge?"

"If you don't mind me asking, why did we annihilate the Quintessons? We could have used them to program the new warriors we're building."

"I have my reasons," said Megatron. "Don't worry, all will be revealed in due time. Now, go and help load the supplies."

Scourge didn't like doing the work such as what the others were doing. However, fearing for his life, he said, "Yes, sir."

In Shockwave's old control center on Cybertron, five robots were working on the computers. They were working in peace when the door was blown open. Megatron ran in and fired his fusion cannon twice, hitting and killing two of the robots. Soundwave and Cyclonus were hot on his heels, firing their own weapons and killing the other three robots who had been working. Satisfied that the workers were dead, Megatron said, "Cyclonus, guard the entrance. Soundwave, see if what we're looking for is still here."

"Tracing. Tracing," said Soundwave as he searched. He touched a panel on a wall, revealing a small secret door. A cable came out of his index finger and he plugged it into a keypad on the electronically locked door. It opened and Soundwave pulled out a familiar gold device. "I found it." He handed the device to Megatron.

Megatron smiled evilly as he took it. He said, "Excellent. The Autobots never suspected it existed. The key to our victory."

Cyclonus looked at his new leader and asked in disbelief, "THAT'S the key to our victory?"

"But of course," said Megatron with a smile. "Now, let's go." The three Decepticons ran out of the old control center and flew off.

Optimus Prime was in his personal quarters working with two datapads. He was quietly working when the message console sounded. He turned his chair around and answered, "What is it, Carly?"

"There's been a break-in at Shockwave's old control center! Something was taken but we have no idea what it is. Three Decepticons were spotted flying in the distance."

"What's Galvatron's current flight path?" asked Optimus.

"It's not Galvatron, Prime," said Carly. "The Decepticons are being lead by Megatron!"

Prime's eyes widened in shock as he leaped out of his chair. "WHAT? Megatron? But how?"

"We don't know," admitted Carly. "Their current flight path is A13 Mark 6. Ultra Magnus has already assembled a team to intercept them."

Optimus so lost in his shock that he barely heard Carly's last sentence. He immediately knew where Megatron was headed. "How many Autobots are on standby?"

"Just Hot Rod, Kup, and Brainstorm."

"Have them meet me out front. And hurry!"

"Where are you going, Prime?"

Optimus stood there for a moment before answering, "To Vector Sigma." He immediately broke contact and dashed out of his quarters.

Megatron, Soundwave, and Cyclonus were flying towards their destination in their robot modes. Cyclonus asked, "Megatron, if you don't mind my asking, what is that?"

Megatron looked at the device in his right hand, looked at Cyclonus, and smiled. "This is the Key to Vector Sigma."

Cyclonus' jaw dropped. "But I thought it was destroyed!"

"It was," said the Decepticon leader in agreement. "But I had Shockwave create a duplicate, should it ever be needed. Only Shockwave, Soundwave, and myself knew about it. We should consider ourselves lucky that the Autobots never discovered it after we were driven away from Cybertron."

Soundwave then interrupted the conversation. "Approaching destination. Autobots interceding."

Megatron looked down to see Ultra Magnus, Blaster, Arcee, and Springer waiting for them. Megatron smiled and said, "Cyclonus, greet them."

Cyclonus transformed to his jet mode and began speeding towards the four Autobots, firing away with everything he had. All the four heroes could do was dive and hope they didn't get hit. As Megatron and Soundwave landed, Cyclonus transformed back to robot mode and did the same. Megatron smiled and said, "Hello, Autobots, surprised to see me again?"

"I don't know how you came back, but we're sending you back to the scrap heap!" said Springer.

"Charge!" ordered Magnus. The four Autobots ran towards the three Decepticons, firing away. Megatron, Soundwave, and Cyclonus were able to get behind a building.

"Soundwave," Megatron ordered, "radio our assault force! Cyclonus, attack them from the air!"

As Soundwave sent his radio signal, Cyclonus nodded and leapt into the air. He transformed back to jet mode and started firing again. "Scatter!" called Magnus. The four Autobots split up, trying to find cover. Springer transformed to helicopter mode and tried to counter Cyclonus' aerial attack, firing away. Ultra Magnus and Blaster sought cover, firing towards where Megatron and Soundwave were hiding. 

Megatron and Soundwave watched as Ultra Magnus and Blaster leapt into a trench. The two Decepticons then stuck their heads out of their hiding places and began firing. Magnus and Blaster did their best to fight back.

Back in the air, Cyclonus was able to avoid Springer's fire and hit the Autobot triple-changer with a missle. Springer cried out in pain as he went down, a crash inevitable.

"Springer!" Arcee cried out in horror as she watched him fall. She frowned and started firing on Cyclonus, actually managing to hit him!

Cyclonus cried out in pain and yelled, "You pink weakling! You'll pay for that!" As he fell, he transformed back to robot mode and fired at the pink female.

"Not close enough!" yelled Arcee as she gracefully dodged the shots. She then transformed to sports car mode and began charging him. Cyclonus' gunfire was no good, as he was run down.

Soundwave saw Cyclonus get run over. He pushed a button on his shoulder and said, "Ravage, eject!" A tape flew out of his chest cavity and transformed into a panther. Ravage roared and ran towards Arcee. The pink female Autobot transformed back to robot mode and turned just in time to be tackled.

Seeing their comrade in trouble, Ultra Magnus said, "Blaster, help her! I'll cover you!" He then fired his shoulder rockets towards the building Megatron and Soundwave were hiding behind. They were buried but both Magnus and Blaster knew that wouldn't stop them for long.

Using his opportunity wisely, Blaster said, "Ramhorn, help the lady in distress, and do to Ravage a hard press!" He pressed a button on his chest and a tape flew out, transforming into a rhino. Ramhorn charged toward Ravage and knocked him off of Arcee. The two cassette creatures then began tussling with each other.

Ultra Magnus saw the rubble that buried Megatron and Soundwave begin to move. He transformed to truck mode and began driving towards the rubble. Megatron and Soundwave burst out from the rubble at the same time. But before either one of them could do anything, they were temporarily blinded by Magnus' headlights and run over. He then turned around and got ready to charge again. As he got up, Megatron said, "You'll pay dearly for that!" He then fired his fusion cannon at the charging Autobot. Magnus swerved, trying to dodge the shot, but the shot hit the ground, causing him to overturn onto his side. Blaster, Arcee, and the now-recovered Springer then began charging and firing, forcing Megatron and Soundwave to take to the air. Magnus recovered, transformed back to robot mode, and joined in.

"Come on!" yelled Springer. "We can stop them!"

"Guess again, greenie!" yelled a familiar voice. The four Autobots looked up to the sky and were surprised to see Skywarp heading towards them! They were so shocked, they were barely able to dive out of the way of his and Thundercracker's gunfire. As the Autobots sought cover again, Megatron and Soundwave landed near the path that lead to Vector Sigma, Cyclonus joining them. Astrotrain landed nearby in shuttle mode. His hatch opened and the Predacons stepped out, along with Blitzwing, Sixshot, Triggerhappy, Slugslinger, and Misfire. Astrotrain then transformed to robot mode.

"Astrotrain, what kept you?" asked Megatron angrily.

"Sorry, Megatron," said Astrotrain. "We had a run-in with the Aerialbots."

"We'll discuss that later. Predacons, with me! The rest of you keep the Autobots at bay. We're going down!"

As Megatron, Cyclonus, and the Predacons ran down the path toward the Vector Sigma Chamber, Soundwave called, "Ravage!" Ravage was running towards his master, his fight with Ramhorn apparently over. He leaped into the air, transformed back to tape mode, and reinserted himself into Soundwave's chest compartment. Soundwave then ran off to join his leader and teammates while the others fought the Autobots.

To Be Continued

  



	4. Episode 102

The Transformers

Episode 102: Thefts and Secrets–Part 2

The eight Decepticons began trying to annihilate the four Autobots on the battlefield. Skywarp, Thundercracker, Slugslinger, Triggerhappy, and Misfire were in their jets modes, Blitzwing and Sixshot were in their tank modes. While Arcee (with Blaster riding in her in radio mode) and Springer tried to avoid the barrage of firepower in their car modes, Astrotrain was in his train mode charging Ultra Magnus in his truck mode in a game of Chicken. It was a draw as both of them collided and wrecked.

As Springer and Arcee split up and tried to avoid their attackers without straying too far from the path to Vector Sigma, Arcee said, "First Megatron, now Thundercracker and Skywarp. Which Decepticons are gonna rise from the grave next?"

"I'd be more worried about staying alive," said Springer. "We're outnumbered!"

"Then let's jam!" said Blaster as he activated his radio waves. 

"Look out!" screamed Triggerhappy as the waves disrupted him and caused him to crash into Slugslinger. Both went down.

"Oh, no you don't!" said Sixshot as he transformed to gun mode. Blitzwing transformed to robot mode and grabbed his teammate's gun form. He fired, knocking Blaster out of Arcee. Springer then ran over Blitzwing from behind, causing him to drop the Sixshot gun. As Sixshot was sent flying out of Blitzwing's hands, he transformed to winged wolf mode and pounced on Springer, forcing him to transform back to robot mode to try and fight him off. Arcee wanted to help Springer, but couldn't at the moment as she still needed to shake Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Misfire.

Just then, help arrived as Optimus Prime, Hot Rod, and Kup approached in their vehicle modes. They transformed to their robot modes and began firing on the three remaining Decepticon jets. Prime and Kup fired their weapons and took down Thundercracker. Hot Rod fired his tailpipe guns and hit Skywarp, forcing him to descend. Brainstorm had stayed in his jet mode and fired on Misfire, saying, "Take that, Misfire!" When Misfire went down, Brainstorm transformed to robot mode and joined his teammates on the ground.

Astrotrain transformed back to robot mode, slowly got up, and realized that reinforcements had arrived for the Autobots. He and his group were too damaged to continue fighting. He transformed back to train mode and his teammates began boarding, all except Sixshot, who was still on top of Springer. Arcee transformed to robot mode and shot Sixshot off of Springer, forcing him to transform back into robot mode. Sixshot turned and said, "You'll pay for that, girlie!" But then he saw the four newly-arrived Autobots and how damaged his friends were. "Another time!" he said as he headed for Astrotrain. When he got in, Astrotrain rolled away.

Optimus and the others approached their teammates. "Is everyone alright?" asked Prime.

Ultra Magnus transformed to robot mode and slowly got up, shaking the cobwebs out of his head. "That collision rattled my transmission, but I'll be fine."

Blaster, now in robot mode, answered, "I took a major hit, but I'm okay."

As Arcee helped Springer up, he acknowledged Prime and his group. "You arrived not an astrosecond too soon. Megatron, Soundwave, Cyclonus, and the Predacons may have already reached Vector Sigma."

"And to make matters worse," added Arcee, "somehow, Thundercracker and Skywarp are alive again too."

"I thought those two jets looked familiar," said Hot Rod. "But what does Megatron want with Vector Sigma?"

"No doubt he wants to create new warriors," said Prime. "But how does he plan to activate it without the key?"

"I noticed him carrying something," said Blaster. "I think it was a duplicate key!"

"Oh no," said Optimus. It had just dawned on him. "They must have created it after Silverbolt destroyed the original! That must be what they stole from Shockwave's old control center!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Kup. "Let's get down there and stop those Decepticreeps!" Optimus nodded in agreement. He and the Autobots immediately made a break for the Vector Sigma chamber.

"We're almost there," said Soundwave. Soon, they arrived at the entrance. It opened and all the Decepticons entered.

"Vector Sigma," breathed Megatron. "The mega-computer that is the source of all Transformer life." All the present Decepticons stared in awe. Finally, Megatron said, "Soundwave, release an Auto-scout and carefully remove Vector Sigma. We must safely get it back to Charr. Predacons, merge into Predaking. If any Autobots try to stop us, destroy them."

"Yes, Megatron," said Razorclaw as the five Predacons immediately transformed and united. Soundwave pressed his shoulder button, releasing a tape. It transformed into a small scout vehicle with a grabbing claw. First, Soundwave carefully probed Vector Sigma, trying to find a spot where the claw could grab it without damaging it.

Optimus was leading his team towards Vector Sigma when he pulled to a stop. "Halt, Autobots!" He noticed a glow up ahead. Though he and his team were still too far back to see the Decepticons, he knew where the glow came from. He turned and noticed the looks on each of their faces. Each of them knew it too.

"We're too late," said Arcee.

Hot Rod adjusted his optics to get a closer look up ahead. "And Predaking's guarding the entrance." His optics went back to normal as he added, "We don't stand a chance against him."

Optimus Prime turned away from his troops and stood there helplessly, mentally berating himself. Arcee's statement was correct: the Autobots were too late. If Megatron somehow escaped with Vector Sigma, Prime knew of the consequences. Countless Decepticons, each ready to destroy him and his forces in a heartbeat. He cursed himself for not thinking of this or taking steps to protect Vector Sigma.

Optimus then pushed these thoughts aside. Now was not the time to worry. Now was the time for action. He took a deep breath and turned back to his team. "Autobots, we have only one option: we must go and fight the Decepticons directly."

"That's suicide!" protested Brainstorm. "Predaking will destroy us as soon as he sees us!"

"I know," said Prime. "But we have no choice. We must prevent Vector Sigma from falling into Megatron's hands at all costs. Even if we destroy Vector Sigma and ourselves in the process, he must be stopped!"

All the present Autobots looked at each other. Each of them were worried and for good reason. But Optimus Prime was right. They were at the end of their rope. Megatron was in possession of Vector Sigma, and there was only one way to stop him. Not a word was spoken. Finally, Kup said, "Might as well go down fighting."

All the Autobots tightened the grips on their weapons. Seeing they were ready, Optimus gave the command. "Now!" The Autobots immediately charged forward, firing away.

Predaking saw the coming assault and took the shots. They appeared to have little or no effect on him. He fired his weapon, hitting Optimus Prime directly in the chest. He fell and was miraculously still alive. Without hesitation, all the other Autobots charged forward, still firing. Predaking gunned down both Hot Rod and Springer before Ultra Magnus fired his shoulder rockets. Predaking stumbled but didn't fall. As Soundwave carefully tried to guide his Auto-scout to remove Vector Sigma, Megatron and Cyclonus watched as Predaking fought the charging Autobots. Megatron noticed Prime lying on the ground, damaged but functional. He smiled cruelly and said, "This will be so sweet. Cyclonus, prepare to receive." He then transformed to gun mode, landing in Cyclonus' hands. "Fire!" ordered Megatron.

Cyclonus fired Megatron's gun mode. Optimus saw the blast coming as he got to one knee and was barely able to roll out of the way.

As Predaking gunned down Kup, he landed in Blaster's arms. Kup grunted in pain and said, "It's been nice knowing ya."

Soundwave watched as his Auto-scout carefully moved Vector Sigma away from its normal position in the chamber. As the scout was moving, Vector Sigma all of a sudden started to glow. "Megatron!" he cried. "Something is wrong!"

All fighting stopped at Soundwave's cry. Both Autobot and Decepticon alike turned to see the glowing super-computer glow brighter and brighter. As it brightened, the Auto-scout was incinerated and Vector Sigma began to rise within the chamber. It rose higher and higher, higher than Predaking.

Vector Sigma reached the top of the chamber, glowing as bright as anyone thought it could glow. Then, Vector Sigma exploded in what seemed to be a million rays of light, though in reality, it was much less than that. The light dimmed down enough for all Transformers present to see. To see the transparent form of a being. The being descended, its face showing no emotion. It stared at the present Transformers for several moments. Then it smiled. And spoke.

"YOU HAVE DONE WELL." It's voice was neither male nor female. It was just that: a voice. "NOW THE TIME HAS COME TO SET YOU FREE."

Megatron spoke, quietly asking, "Who. . . are you?"

"I AM PRIMUS."

All the Transformers gasped and stepped back. Primus was always believed to be a myth! Even in the oldest of Cybertron's ancient texts, Primus was an obscure name!

"COUNTLESS MILLENNIA AGO, BEFORE RECORDED HISTORY, THE AGE OF THE GODS WAS DRAWING TO A CLOSE. I WAS THE LAST OF THE GODS OF LIGHT. MY TASK WAS TO DESTROY THE CHAOS-BRINGER, UNICRON. BUT HE WAS TOO POWERFUL. I COULD NOT WIN BY FORCE ALONE. SO I IMPRISONED HIS LIFE ESSENCE INTO A METAL PLANETOID. I HOPED THAT THE THREAT WAS OVER."

"HOWEVER, ANTICIPATING THAT IT WAS NOT, I RESHAPED MY PHYSICAL BODY INTO WHAT YOU KNOW AS THE MATRIX OF LEADERSHIP. A PORTION OF MY LIFE ESSENCE WAS STORED INSIDE. THE REST WAS STORED WITHIN THE CORE OF THIS VERY PLANET OF CYBERTRON, INTO WHAT YOU KNOW AS VECTOR SIGMA."

"WHEN THE QUINTESSONS CAME INTO EXISTENCE AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME, THEY DISCOVERED VECTOR SIGMA, AND PROCEEDED TO CREATE THE FIRST OF YOUR ANCIENT ANCESTORS. THE MATRIX STAYED BEHIND, BURIED WITHIN A MOON NEAR THE PLANETOID WHERE UNICRON WAS IMPRISONED. FROM THERE, I WAS ABLE TO KEEP AN EYE ON HIM."

"WHEN PRIMACRON REBUILT UNICRON TO CHANGE FROM ROBOT TO PLANET, I WAS POWERLESS TO STOP IT. BECAUSE I MYSELF WAS TRAPPED WITHIN BOTH THE MATRIX AND VECTOR SIGMA, AND BECAUSE MY BODY WAS NO LONGER A BODY, I COULD NOT DIRECTLY INTERFERE. WHEN UNICRON REBELLED AGAINST PRIMACRON, I MADE MY WAY TO CYBERTRON, KNOWING THAT EVEN IN HIS NEW FORM, UNICRON WOULD TAKE MANY CENTURIES TO REACH ME."

"WHEN THE FIRST BEARER OF THE MATRIX RECEIVED ME, I TAUGHT HIM THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG, GOOD AND EVIL, FREEDOM AND SLAVERY. IN TURN, HE CONVINCED THE OTHER ORIGINAL CYBERTRONIANS TO REBEL AGAINST THE QUINTESSONS. IT WAS I WHO ALSO GAVE YOUR ANCESTORS THE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO TRANSFORM, THEREFORE MIMICKING UNICRON'S ABILITIES. AND FOR EVERY AUTOBOT LEADER WHOSE SPIRIT ENTERED THE MATRIX, I BECAME MORE AND MORE POWERFUL. POWERFUL ENOUGH TO DEFEAT UNICRON ONCE AND FOR ALL. AND YOU SUCCEEDED. I THANK YOU."

Primus smiled as it looked at the Transformers present, who took in the information with the sincerest of belief. Primus then looked at Optimus Prime. "OPTIMUS PRIME, I SENSE YOU HAVE A QUESTION."

Optimus nodded. "Two actually. Why didn't you warn our ancestors, why didn't you warn any of us of Unicron's eventual arrival."

"I DID. REMEMBER THE PROPHESY THAT AN AUTOBOT WOULD RISE TO LIGHT YOUR DARKEST HOUR? I DID WARN YOU. JUST FROM A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW. YOUR OTHER QUESTION."

"Why a war?"

Primus frowned. It answered angrily, "MY POWERS ARE NOT LIMITLESS! I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TRAITS WERE THE BEST TO DEFEAT UNICRON, SO I GAVE THEM ALL TO YOU! I HAD ANTICIPATED SOME DISAGREEMENT AMONGST YOU, BUT NOT A WAR OF SUCH MAGNITUDE! PERHAPS IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT YOU WOULD BE DIVIDED. YET THE CONFLICT HAD IT USES. IT TAUGHT YOU SELF-RELIANCE, HONED YOUR ABILITIES, AND BROUGHT OUT THE BEST IN YOU. THIS WAR WAS STARTED BY YOU AND YOU ALONE. THE END OF YOUR WAR WILL COME AT A TIME OF YOUR CHOOSING."

Primus' anger died down. It spoke again, "THE TIME HAS COME FOR ME TO SET YOU FREE. TO SEEK YOUR OWN DESTINY. OPTIMUS PRIME AND MEGATRON, STEP FORWARD."

The two leaders did as they were told. Two prismatic bolts came from Primus' eyes and hit them in their chests. The two leaders jilted at the sensation that flowed through their bodies. When it was done, their chest cavities opened by themselves.

"BEHOLD, THE FULLY RECHARGED AUTOBOT MATRIX OF LEADERSHIP. AND THE DECEPTICON MATRIX OF POWER."

Optimus Prime stared at his recharged Matrix, the blue crystal shining brightly as ever. Megatron looked at his Matrix and noticed that it was just like the Autobot Matrix except whereas, the Autobot Matrix had a blue crystal, this one had a red crystal. The casing around it was silver as opposed to the gold casing around the Autobot Matrix' crystal. The handles around the Autobot Matrix were white, while the handles of the Decepticon Matrix were black. Primus continued to speak.

"EACH MATRIX HOLDS THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF CYBERTRON, AS WELL AS THE SPIRITS OF YOUR ANCIENT LEADERS. ALSO, EACH MATRIX HAS THE ABILITY TO GRANT LIFE TO NEW TRANSFORMERS. BUT BE WARNED, DO NOT EXHAUST ITS POWER TOO QUICKLY. IT MUST HAVE TIME TO RECHARGE. FOR IF YOU EXHAUST THE POWER, IT WILL BE LOST FOREVER. REMEMBER, THAT GOOD CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT EVIL, NOR EVIL WITHOUT GOOD. PEACE CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT WAR, NOR WAR WITHOUT PEACE. THERE IS NO COMPASSION WITHOUT HATRED, AND NO HATRED WITHOUT COMPASSION. IT IS ALL PART OF THE COSMIC BALANCE."

Primus then began rising and glowing. Brighter and brighter until vision was impossible. Both the bright light and Primus then began to fade. As it disappeared, Primus bade farewell. "FAREWELL, MY CHILDREN."

When the light died down, all that remained in the Vector Sigma Chamber was Vector Sigma itself and the eight Autobots who had journeyed down there. Seven of them looked around, wondering what had happened to the Decepticons. Optimus Prime, however, continued to stare at Vector Sigma as it floated back to its normal place. Ultra Magnus finally broke him out of his reverie. "Prime?" Optimus was shaken out of his trance as he turned to his old friend. "Are you okay?"

Prime nodded and looked back at Vector Sigma. "Ultra Magnus," he said finally, "see if Vector Sigma can be moved to another location. I don't want it to fall into the wrong hands again."

Back on Charr, Megatron was watching four new warriors train. Ever since he and his army discovered themselves mysteriously back on Charr, many of them had been asking him, Soundwave, Cyclonus, and the Predacons what had happened. While they were being filled in, Megatron immediately sought to test out his new Matrix to see if Primus' words were true. The birth of the four new warriors proving themselves on the training ground made him smile. Things were finally looking up for the Decepticons' future. Eagle Eye and Windrazor's power, smarts, and attitudes were just what Megatron liked in warriors. Nightracer, a female Decepticon race car, was one of the best sharpshooters he had ever seen. Terradive, however, was merely brute force without a lot of brains–which was just fine with him.

Megatron thought about what Primus said. If there was such a thing as destiny, he was going to pursue it the only way he knew how: defeat the Autobots and conquer the Universe. This brought a satisfying smile to his face.

Back on Cybertron, the Autobots were discussing the significance of their meeting with Primus.

"Can you believe it?" asked Hot Rod. "We were actually face-to-face with a god!"

"Yeah," agreed Arcee. "That was, as I believe the humans say, far out!"

"But is it really true what he said about this war?" asked Springer. "That we brought it all upon ourselves?"

"Who's to say?" asked Kup, answering the question with a question. "I learned a long time ago that life throws you a lot of unexpected twists and turns."

Optimus Prime had been staring out upon the city of Iacon the whole time. Ultra Magnus approached him and said, "Prime? You've been quiet all this time. What do you think of Primus' words?"

There was silence for a long time. Finally, the Autobot leader responded, "I'm worried for ourselves."

"What do you mean?" asked Magnus.

Optimus turned to face all the Autobots present. "If what Primus said is true, about destiny, about us bringing this war upon ourselves . . . what does that say about us?"

No one had a satisfying answer.

The End


	5. Episode 103

The Transformers

Episode 103: Back With a Vengeance

It had been two months since Primus had revealed himself. Megatron was rebuilding his army and preparing to begin his conquest of the Universe anew. Megatron and Scrapper were looking over Scorponok, in city mode. "Is Scorponok ready?" he asked.

"Yes, Megatron," said Scrapper. "You have programmed him to serve only you. Also, in the event that he should somehow rebel, we have installed multiple fail-safe systems, as you ordered."

"Excellent," said the Decepticon leader. He removed the Matrix of Power from his chest and held it. "It is time." Megatron opened up the Decepticon Matrix of Power and Scorponok was bathed with its energy.

The large city transformed to robot mode as he awakened. He let out a scream as he came online. He looked down at Megatron and said, "I am Scorponok. I live only to serve the Decepticon cause."

Megatron smiled. "Well said. Report to the training grounds. We will be ready for our assault within a week."

Counterpunch had listened in on the whole conversation. He transformed to car mode and rolled to an area of Charr where he wouldn't be discovered. When he transformed to robot mode, he was now in the form of Punch, his true Autobot persona. He opened up a message console. "Punch to Iacon. I'm on a secure channel. Acknowledge."

Blaster received the message. "This is Blaster blastin' at ya, Punch. Give us the report from the Cons resort."

"Megatron has just given life to Scorponok. He has several more bodies being constructed, ready to receive life. The Decepticons are planning some kind of assault within the week. Details are scarce. I'll report any more information as it becomes available. Punch out."

When contact was broken, Blaster contacted Optimus Prime. "Prime, this is Blaster blastin' at ya. Acknowledge."

Optimus answered the call. "Prime here. What is it, Blaster?"

"There's not a lot of information, you see, but the Decepticons are planning an assault within the week."

Prime sighed. "We can only hope that Punch is able to obtain better intelligence soon. Stay in touch, Blaster."

"Will do, Prime."

Optimus walked back to the nearby training room where he and Ultra Magnus were training some newly-created recruits. Prime said, "We're going to have to push ourselves harder. The Decepticons are planning some kind of assault within the week. For that, we must do everything we can to be prepared. Any questions?" A purple and white female raised her hand. "Yes, Top-Speed?"

The new female Autobot asked, "How much more rigorous is the training going to be?"

"Today, the simulator's difficulty level will be raised to Level 5. As you know, 10 is the highest and most difficult. I know you haven't had a chance to train beyond Level 2 yet, but there's really not much choice. Whether or not we continue working on Level 5 or go higher will depend on how well you do today. Anyone else?" A red and black robot raised his hand. "Motormouth?"

"How soon before we start busting heads?"

This time, it was Ultra Magnus who answered, "Fighting the Decepticons is more than just 'busting heads.' They will resort to any means necessary to defeat you. Most of us can tell you that first-hand."

"But to answer your question," said Optimus, "it's difficult to say. Knowing Megatron, he'll try and attack when we least expect it. Hopefully, Punch's presence on Charr will reduce the chances of surprises. Now, let's get to work."

In the simulation, the four new Autobots were under attack by Ape Face, Snapdragon, Mindwipe, Skullcruncher, and Weirdwolf. Snapdragon and Ape Face were attacking in their jet modes. Jolt, one of the four new Autobots was trying to attack both of them in his jet mode. He was able to gun down Ape Face, but was shot down by Snapdragon. However, Copycat, a black and grey female, scanned Snapdragon and transformed into an exact copy of him in jet mode. She took off and shot down Snapdragon. Motormouth, in his pickup truck mode ran over Weirdwolf, who was in wolf mode. However, Mindwipe in bat mode, was waiting for him as he turned around.

Mindwipe activated his hypnotic powers. "Your circuits are under my power, Motormouth. You will transform and fire on your friends."

"Yes, master," said Motormouth in a trance. He transformed and pulled out his gun, ready to fire on Copycat, now in her regular robot mode, who was trying to help Jolt to his feet. 

However, Top-Speed, who had been struggling with Skullcruncher, who was in alligator mode, was finally able to throw him off. Seeing Motormouth's predicament, she said, "Oh, no you don't." She instinctively fired her gun on Mindwipe, taking him down and breaking his hold on Motormouth just in time.

Motormouth shook the cobwebs out of his head. "Wh . . . what happened?" His three comrades came to check up on him.

"End simulation," came Optimus Prime's voice. The battlefield faded away, revealing an empty metal room. Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus approached them. "You did better than I expected," said Optimus. "This is the fifth time you've tried the Level Five simulation. You've passed this level of training faster than many of my best soldiers. Be proud of yourselves. Now, get to the repair bay so First Aid, Spike, and Wreck-Gar can patch you up. Have yourself some Energon cubes and rest. I'll see you tomorrow." The four new warriors saluted.

Ultra Magnus smiled as they left. "I'd say they're learning to work together pretty well. Do you think they're ready to fight the Decepticons?"

"I sure hope so, Ultra Magnus," answered Optimus. "Come on, let's go check on Fortress Maximus. I just hope he'll be ready to fight Scorponok."

Elsewhere, Perceptor and some of the Junkions had just finished creating a head for Fortress Maximus. Prime and Magnus approached in their vehicle modes and transformed to their robot forms. Perceptor looked at his two superiors as Prime asked, "How's it going, Perceptor?"

"The new head of Fort Max has just been completed," said the Autobot scientist. "All he lacks now is life."

One Junkion concurred. "Test drive new Fortress Maximus model today! Guaranteed to stop Decepticons for up 500 years. Satisfaction guaranteed!"

"Or your money back!" finished the other present Junkions.

Optimus shook his head. "I don't think I'll ever get used to their language." He then opened his chest and took out the Matrix of Leadership. "Alright, let's do it." He opened the Matrix and the energy flowed through Fortress Maximus.

The former HeadMaster awakened, now with life he could call his own. "I am Fortress Maximus. I strive for peace, but prepare for war."

Ultra Magnus then said, "You'll need all the preparation you can get. Perceptor, activate the holographic projector. Fort Max needs practice." Perceptor nodded and complied.

Three days later, the Decepticons were preparing to leave Charr and begin their assault. Megatron was talking to Thundercracker and Skywarp. "Thundercracker, Skywarp, I want you to do whatever Cyclonus tells you. The reason I have made him the new Air Commander is to test his loyalty. If he plots treason, play along with him until the mission is over. Then, report it to me. Understood?"

"Right, Megatron," said Skywarp. "We won't let you down."

"Yeah," said Thundercracker. "I'm just glad we don't have to put up with that geeky Starscream anymore."

Skywarp and Thundercracker chuckled, as did Megatron. The Decepticon leader smiled and said, "You're not the only ones."

Soon, all the Decepticons were gathered outside. Megatron said, "Decepticons, today we begin our conquest of the Universe anew. It was only five Earth years ago that we had pushed the Autobots to the verge of defeat. Then came Unicron. He and Galvatron nearly drove this army into extinction. And yet, we survive. Remember, today is only the beginning! We attack on three fronts: Cybertron, Nebulos, and Earth. We will not win today, but when it's all said and done, final victory will belong to us! Power to the Decepticons, forever!" All Decepticons in the room cheered. Megatron smiled as his troops cheered, ready to fight. It was good to finally see them in good spirits. Megatron then held up his hand, silencing them. He turned to Cyclonus. "Cyclonus, your team will take Trypticon and attack Autobot City on Earth." He then acknowledged Scourge. "Scourge, your assault force will take Scorponok and head for Nebulos. And I shall personally lead the assault on Cybertron. Decepticons, we go!" All Decepticons then began to take their leave.

Counterpunch was within Scorponok. As Scorponok flew towards Nebulos in city mode, Counterpunch was trying to think of a way to get into contact with the Autobots without drawing suspicion. Scourge solved that problem for him, saying, "Counterpunch, go to the storage room and bring us some Energon. I want to be absolutely certain everyone is at full power when we attack."

"Yes, Scourge," said Counterpunch as he saluted. He took the long walk to the storage room. He walked in and opened a compartment on his left arm. He then began hitting some buttons.

Back at Iacon, Carly was at the communications deck when she began picking up a signal. She said, "Optimus Prime, come quickly! It's an S. O. S.!"

Optimus Prime and Kup quickly approached. Kup noticed the way the signal was being transmitted. "What's with all the random beeps?"

Even as she was deciphering it, Carly answered, "It's Morse Code. Decepticons attacking. Trypticon heading for Earth. Scorponok, Nebulos. Megatron attacking Cybertron. Punch."

Optimus then turned to Blaster. "Blaster, have all Autobots on standby on Earth and Cybertron. 

Also, contact Gort on Nebulos. The Nebulans will have to fend for themselves until Fortress Maximus can provide assistance."

"On the case, ace." Blaster then began getting everyone ready.

On Nebulos, there now stands a city similar to the Autobot City on Earth. It is built to defend Nebulos should anyone dare attack it. Cerebros, formerly a part of Fortress Maximus, now lives here in peace. On this day, he does his usual checkup to see if the city is in tip-top condition. He hasn't had to fight since Cybertron's Golden Age was restored. And for this, he is glad. However, his peace is about to be shattered.

"Cerebros!" yelled a voice. Cerebros turned to see Stylor, Chromedome's former HeadMaster partner. "We just received a message from Cybertron. An assault force of Decepticons is heading our way!"

"Oh no!" groaned Cerebros. "Please, I don't want to fight!"

"We're not asking you to fight," reassured Stylor. "We just want you to help Peacemaker, Haywire, and myself get our people into hiding. We also want you to make sure our defenses operate at optimum level. Reinforcements from Cybertron are coming, but we'll have to defend ourselves until they arrive."

Cerebros sighed. "Very well. I suppose I can do that much."

In orbit around Earth, the Earth Defense Command (EDC) station was watching for the Decepticons. EDC Captain Marissa Fairborne asked one of her officers, "Anything on the radar screens yet?"

The male officer said, "Negative, Captain." Then something happened. "Wait a minute. I'm picking up faint blips. If I could just get a visual." He messed with the controls a moment. Finally, he got a picture. It was a large, familiar, Decepticon dinosaur. "There! It's Trypticon! He's heading for Earth, just like Optimus Prime said!"

"How many Decepticons are on board?" asked Marissa.

"There's no way of telling."

"Activate the cloaking device," ordered Marissa. "Then board the ships. We're going to Autobot City to help any way we can."

"Yes, Captain," said the officer. He pushed a button, and the EDC space station appeared to turn invisible. Every EDC officer present then boarded the ships and began to head for Earth.

In space, Megatron's team was flying towards Cybertron in a ship identical to the one Galvatron used to have. Megatron said, "This is an impressive space cruiser, Soundwave. I assume it belonged to Galvatron?"

"Affirmative," said Soundwave. "It must have been created by Unicron. It is far superior to any space ship we ever created. The original was destroyed on Nebulos. However, I had managed to draw up the schematics for it in case of such an event."

Megatron walked to Astrotrain, who was one of the Decepticons piloting the ship. "How much farther, Astrotrain?"

"We're almost there, Megatron."

"Good. When we're in orbit, come to a halt. Then we'll begin out assault."

Soon, it was on. Megatron and his team flew out of their ship and began descending towards Iacon. "Attack!" yelled Megatron. He fired his fusion cannon, doing significant damage to a city wall. From the destroyed wall ran Blaster, Blurr, and Kup, firing away. Some of the Decepticons were hit and fell from the sky.

Optimus Prime rolled onto the battlefield in semi-truck mode and transformed as Megatron landed on the ground. Megatron smiled cruelly and said, "Ah, Optimus Prime. It's been a long time since our last battle."

Prime frowned. "Not long enough, Megatron."

"Killing you a second time will be much sweeter than the first."

"We'll see about that." Optimus then fired his laser rifle at the same time that Megatron fired his fusion cannon. Both leaders were hit. Both of them then threw away their weapons and charged each other. Their hands locked and they began trying to overpower each other.

Meanwhile, Razorclaw ordered, "Predacons, merge to become Predaking!" When the combining was complete, Predaking roared and drew his sword.

In the air, Sky Lynx was flying towards Predaking in shuttle mode. Sky Lynx asked, "How many times must I prove that you can't beat me?" He then transformed to his combined dragon/lynx mode and shot a fireball from his mouth. It hit Predaking square in the chest. However, while the giant did stumble, he didn't fall.

"We will beat you," said Predaking. "We will destroy you!" He continually swiped his sword at the giant Autobot beast. Sky Lynx managed to avoid Predaking's sword, but was finally hit, causing him to crash. He then split into his separate dragon and lynx modes. His lynx mode then charged. Predaking fired his gun, but the lynx kept avoiding the shots. Finally, the lynx rammed into Predaking's leg, knocking him down. Sky Lynx's dragon mode then leaped into the air and shot three fireballs from his mouth. All three of them hit their mark and Predaking separated back into the five Predacons. The Predacons then decided to try attacking Sky Lynx in their beast modes.

Omega Supreme wanted in on the action. He looked around and found who he was looking for. "Target sighted," he said in his emotionless voice. "Confrontation inevitable."

The Constructicons looked up to see Omega Supreme coming. Scrapper said, "Constructicons, unite!" They then merged to form Devastator.

Devastator laughed and said, "Nothing defeats Devastator! Nothing!"

Omega then said, "Talk excessive." He then fired his plasma blaster, knocking Devastator down. Omega nodded and said, "Results satisfactory." He then moved to finish the job. But Devastator was far from finished. He lashed out with his right leg, knocking Omega Supreme back. Devastator then got up and landed a left hand to the jaw, followed by a right to the jaw, knocking the former Guardian Robot down. Omega sat up and said, "Challenge welcomed."

On Earth, Trypticon landed with a thud near Autobot City. His chest opened up and Decepticons began flying out, led by Cyclonus. Cyclonus cried, "For the glory of the Decepticons, attack!" Cyclonus, Thundercracker, and Skywarp led the charge in their jet modes. Ultra Magnus, Jazz, and Goldbug lead the Autobot resistance as they charged from Autobot City in the vehicle modes. 

The Stunticons were nearing the ground. Motormaster said, "Stunticons, transform!" Once they landed on the ground, the Stunticons transformed into their vehicle modes and began charging, running over several Autobots without a care.

While still in truck mode, Magnus fired his rockets, hitting Cyclonus and sending him crashing down. Goldbug said, "Optimus Prime wasn't kidding when he said Thundercracker and Skywarp were back."

"Let's see if they remember how to jam," said Jazz as he activated his sound and lights show. Thundercracker was affected and was sent falling out of control. However, Skywarp teleported behind the two veteran Autobots and transformed to robot mode. He landed on the ground and fired both of his arm-mounted guns. Jazz and Goldbug were hit and they transformed to their robots modes and fired. But Skywarp quickly teleported again out of harm's way.

The Stunticons continued to run down Autobots that tried to stop them in either their vehicle or robot modes. Firepower came from the sky and the Stunticons tried to avoid it. The five Stunticons were either hit or overturned. As they transformed to their robot modes, Dead End said bored, "Oh, look, it's the Aerialbots."

As the Aerialbots descended in their jet modes, Slingshot said, "That's right, Stuntidweebs! And we're going put you out of your misery!"

"That's what you think!" retorted Motormaster. "Stunticons, merge into Menasor!" The Stunticons did just that.

"Two can play that game!" said Silverbolt. "Aerialbots, transform into Superion!" Both giants then began going at it. Menasor struck Superion with his sword. He went to strike again, but Superion avoided the slash and punched Menasor in the jaw, knocking him down and causing him to drop his sword. Superion slowly approached, but Menasor fired his arm guns, knocking him back. As Superion stumbled, Menasor tried to charge, but was gunned down by Superion.

Blitzwing fired upon some Autobots in his jet mode. He transformed to robot mode and landed on the ground. Two Autobots tried to charge him in their car modes, but he swiped at them with his sword, damaging both of them. He was then shot in the back. Blitzwing fell to his knees and turned to see Warpath charging towards him in tank mode and firing away. Warpath said, "Hey, Blitzwing! BAM! Remember me? KABOOM! KAZOWIE!" Blitzwing responded by transforming to his own tank mode and firing.

Cyclonus stood up and saw Ultra Magnus rolling towards him. The Autobot City Commander transformed to robot mode and pointed his gun at the new Decepticon Air Commander. As he produced his gun from subspace, Cyclonus said, "I've been waiting a long time for this, Magnus. Just you and me."

"Talk is cheap, Cyclonus," said Magnus. He fired his gun. Cyclonus dodged the shot and fired his own weapon, hitting Magnus in the chest.

Trypticon stomped towards Autobot City. "Crush Metroplex!" he roared. Metroplex (which is a part of Autobot City, not the city itself) fired all of its city mode weapons, driving Trypticon back a step, but doing minimal damage, if any damage at all.

Metroplex used this small distraction to transform to robot mode and punch Trypticon in the jaw. Trypticon shot his fire breath in Metroplex's face, causing him to cry out in pain. Trypticon then lashed out with his tail, knocking Metroplex down.

On Nebulos, Scourge, the Sweeps, Windrazor, Eagle Eye, Terradive, Nightracer, Scorponok, and Counterpunch were attacking (though Counterpunch was trying not to harm anyone). Scorponok, in scorpion mode, fired his scorpion tail at the city. The city, despite having some of the best firepower available was outmatched. Recoil, Kup's former TargetMaster partner was trying to shoot Nightracer, who was in her race car mode. Despite being a great sharpshooter, Recoil just couldn't hit her. "Dang it, I can't hit her!"

Nightracer transformed to robot mode and said, "You call that shooting? I'll show you shooting!" She fired right down the barrel of the weapon that was firing on her. It was just about to fire at Nightracer again, but the Decepticon gunner's shot triggered an overload, causing an explosion. Miraculously, Recoil only sustained minor injuries.

Cerebros was working desperately in his computer mode to keep the weapons systems from being taken off-line. He couldn't let that happen. Nebulos would be completely defenseless then. He thought to himself, 'If I'm going to die, at least I can die knowing that I finally found peace.'

Scourge and the Sweeps were continuously firing on the walls of the city. "Keep at it!" cried Scourge. "They can't hold out forever!" All Decepticons ceased firing when they noticed a shadow looming over them.

It was Fortress Maximus in city mode. He landed and Hot Rod led the charge, followed by Arcee, Springer, Motormouth, Jolt, Top-Speed, and Copycat all in their vehicle modes. Arcee and Springer weren't sure if Prime made a wise decision letting Hot Rod lead their particular team, but they accepted it, knowing that, having been Rodimus Prime, he had experience as a leader. They transformed to their robot modes and fired on their foes. Fort Max transformed to battle station mode and joined in. All the Decepticons scattered. Counterpunch used this chance to run into a forest of trees near Fort Max and transform into Punch.

Scorponok approached Fortress Maximus in scorpion mode and fired his tail, destroying some of the weapons systems. Scorponok said, "You can't stop me, Autobot!" He transformed to robot mode, as did Fort Max.

Fortress Maximus stood tall and said, "We'll see." The two super-robots then began exchanging blows. Fortress Maximus punched Scorponok in the jaw. Scorponok did the same. Fort Max grabbed Scorponok in a bear hug, but Scorponok used one of his claw hands to tear into the Autobot's back. As Fortress Maximus fell to his knees in pain, Scorponok slammed both of his fists into Fortress Maximus' back.

Windrazor cried, "Attack!" He, Eagle Eye, and Terradive began firing away in their jet modes. 

Springer transformed to helicopter mode and cried, "Hop on!" Hot Rod and Arcee did so. Springer took off and began firing at the three new Decepticon jets, as did his two friends. Eagle Eye and Windrazor were shot down, but Terradive kept charging, slamming into Springer. As Springer fell down, Hot Rod and Arcee couldn't hold on. They fell off and landed hard on the ground.

Nightracer saw Arcee and said, "Well, well, a female Autobot for me to terminate."

Nightracer was about to fire her gun, but Punch charged her in his car mode. He ran her over, causing her to drop her gun. He transformed to robot mode and fired at her. She was barely able to roll out of the way. She managed to grab her gun and shot Punch in the chest. Springer, recovering in robot mode saw this. "Punch! You'll pay for that! I don't care if you are a femme!" He started charging Nightracer with his sword in hand. But Nightracer casually turned and shot Springer in the chest.

Seeing him go down, Arcee cried, "Springer! No!" She transformed to sports car mode and began to charge Nightracer.

Hot Rod saw this and said, "Arcee, don't!" But it was too late. Nightracer shot a heavy tree that Arcee was passing and it landed on her, damaging her badly. She was unable to transform.

Motormouth, Top-Speed, Jolt, and Copycat were fight Scourge and the Sweeps, but they were outnumbered. Copycat scanned a Sweep and transformed into one. She then transformed to its aircraft mode and fired, taking down two of them. Scourge saw this and said, "Impossible!" But then he cried out in pain as Copycat shot him down, still in the form of a Sweep.

Back on Cybertron, Megatron and Optimus Prime tangled hands again. Both of them were heavily damaged. Megatron shot his eyebeams in Prime's face at close range, knocking him down. As Prime laid there unmoving, Megatron slowly walked to his fusion cannon, picked it up, and mounted it on his arm. He pointed it at his mortal enemy, ready to destroy him. But he lowered his arm and began laughing. "I could kill you right now, Prime," said Megatron. "But it was not my intention to do that today. I just wanted to send you a message." He then walked over to the fallen Autobot leader and dug his left hand into Optimus' damaged chest. He picked him up and held him close, intent to let Prime hear every word he had to say. "I'm back. And so are the Decepticons. For the sake of honor, I will leave you be. But next time, I will not be so merciful." He then threw Prime back onto the ground and pushed a button on his chest. He said, "All Decepticons, return to Charr. We have won this day." He then flew off. All Decepticons on Cybertron soon followed suit.

Back on Earth, Cyclonus received the message. "Decepticons, we go." Trypticon managed to get to his feet. His battle with Metroplex had ended in a stalemate. All Decepticons on Earth boarded Trypticon and left.

On Nebulos, Scourge received the message too. The injured assault leader said, "Let's go. Our job is finished." Scorponok walked away from the defeated Fortress Maximus and transformed to city mode. All Decepticons began boarding.

As she was about to enter, Nightracer asked, "Hey, where's Counterpunch?"

"Who cares?" asked Eagle Eye. "Let's get back to Charr. I've seen enough of this filthy organic world." All Decepticons except Counterpunch boarded Scorponok and left.

On Cybertron, Optimus Prime was sitting in the repair bay, sending a message to every planet that was aligned with the Autobots. He said, "Autobots, we have a been dealt a devastating defeat this day. Megatron is back, and back with a vengeance. The Decepticons have risen again, more dangerous than ever. Our war has begun anew and only time will tell which side will win."

The End


	6. Episode 104

The Transformers

Episode 104: Tara

Megatron was sitting on his throne on Charr, savoring his victory. How good it felt to have beaten Optimus Prime and the Autobots on their own fronts. Of course, even if he had killed Prime then and there, tactically, it would still take much longer to reconquer Cybertron. There was no way he was going to accomplish his goal of conquest overnight. He knew from experience that that wasn't possible. He didn't want to regain Cybertron in one fell swoop anyway. It felt good to actually, as he believed humans put it, get under his skin. He knew that his army was stronger than ever, and he had a feeling that Prime knew it too.

Back on Earth, repairs to the damage inflicted on both Autobot City and Metroplex were underway. But right now, that was the last thing on Daniel Witwicky's mind. Today was his first day of school. Arcee was giving him a lift. As he rode in the pink Autobot femme, he asked, "Are you sure you're okay, Arcee? After all, the damage you sustained on Nebulos was pretty bad."

"I'm fine, Daniel," said Arcee. "I guess I should have listened to Hot Rod and not charged Nightracer so blindly."

Daniel smirked. "Yeah. Who'da thunk it? If this were five years ago, it would've been Hot Rod in your place." They both laughed lightly. Despite that (admittedly insulting) analogy, Arcee knew that Daniel was right. Five years ago, it definitely would have been Hot Rod making such a foolish decision.

Arcee pulled up to the school and stopped. As Daniel stepped out, he said, "Thanks for the ride, Arcee. See you later."

"Bye, Daniel," said Arcee as she rode away.

Daniel slowly walked into the school. He was wearing an Oakland Raiders jersey, blue jeans, and black tennis shoes. He looked at his schedule and found his first period class. As he walked into the classroom and sat down, he heard a voice behind him. "Hey, Danny!"

Daniel turned around and saw a black boy dressed in a white t-shirt and black jeans. As they slapped each other high-five, Daniel smiled and said, "What's up, Jimmy?"

"Oh, the same-old, same-old. You still hangin' out with the Autobots?"

"Yeah. I'm sure you heard about the attack that happened last week."

"Yeah," said Jimmy nodding. "That was a pretty tough loss. Rumor has it that Megatron is back."

"That's no rumor," said Daniel. "That's a fact. I mean, I was excited when Optimus Prime came back, but Megatron's a whole other story."

Little did the two boys realize that two rows down, a red-haired girl was listening in on the conversation. She was dressed in a white tank top, black shorts, and black cowboy boots. She frowned as she listened to them talk about the Transformers.

A dark-haired man dressed in a grey suit, obviously the teacher, came into the classroom and said, "Good morning, class. Welcome back. I'll take attendance and then we'll get started." Once role was called, he asked, "Is there anybody I didn't call?" The red-haired girl raised her hand. The teacher pointed to her and said, "Yes, what's your name?"

"Tara James," answered the girl in a Southern accent.*

*She sounds like Rogue from "X-Men: Evolution"

The teacher wrote her name in his book. "Anyone else?" No response. "Alright, then, let's get started."

The first day of school was uneventful. After the final bell, Daniel walked outside to wait for his ride. He was walking toward the sidewalk and looking around for whichever Autobot would pick him up. He wasn't watching where he was going and ended up running into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry," said Daniel. "Here, let me help you." Instead, Daniel was pushed down. He landed on his butt, looked up, and realized it was the red-haired girl that had been in all of his classes. "Tara?" he asked surprised. "What was that for?"

The fiery redhead frowned and said angrily, "I don't need or want help from anyone who hangs out with those cursed Transformers!" She walked until Daniel saw her get on a motorcycle. As she put on her helmet and rode away, Daniel watched with a look of confusion on his face. He stood up, picked up his stuff, and wondered why she would harbor such resentment.

He was broken out of his reverie when he heard a car horn. It was Jazz, with his music cranked up. As Daniel got in and belted up, Jazz asked, "Hey, Danny-boy, how was your first day of school?"

It took a moment for Daniel to realize that Jazz was talking to him, he was so lost in his thoughts. "Huh? Oh, just a . . . typical school day." They then headed home.

That evening, Daniel was sitting in his room in Autobot City. He was on his computer looking up information about Tara James. "She and her grandfather are living at the apartment complex downtown. But what does she have against Transformers?" he asked himself. His answer then came as some information was displayed onscreen about her past. She was originally from rural Alabama. "No surprise," said Daniel as he thought about her accent. Then he noticed something else. "Parents killed in housefire started by Insecticons," he read aloud. "Optimus Prime was able to save her, but her parents perished." He then ran out of his room and sought the Autobot leader. He had some questions.

"Are you sure it's the same girl?" asked Prime.

Daniel nodded. "Unless the information I just read is forged."

Optimus then turned away and hung his head in shame. "Daniel, I've met humans who've cursed us and called us a threat, but I've never been so ashamed of myself when I heard the words that little girl directed towards me."

His story began. "It was about eight years ago. The Insecticons were eating all their crops. Myself and some of the other Autobots attempted to stop them. Tara and her parents ran inside, figuring they'd be safest from the fight in there. However, Shrapnel noticed this and set fire to their house. While the other Autobots fought the Insecticons and their numerous clones, I ran inside to rescue Tara and her family. I picked up Tara and was about to get her parents when the ceiling collapsed, burying them. I heard their screams. The screams died down pretty quickly. I quickly lifted the debris with my free hand. There they were, their bodies crushed. Tara was screaming for them, thinking maybe they were alright. I wasn't really paying attention, because I knew at that point they were already dead. I picked up their bodies and carried them out of the house as I saw Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback retreating. All of their clones had been destroyed, but that didn't matter. Now, I don't remember what she said when she was screaming for her parents. But I'll never forget what she said to me as Inferno doused what was left of her burning home."

In the past, Optimus looked down in shame as young Tara yelled, "You killed my parents!" She started pounding on his large blue leg and screamed, "You killed them! I hate you! I hate you!"

His story finished, Prime turned back to Daniel. "I've never forgiven myself for what happened that day. That little girl telling me how much she hated me. But of course, you know that we had more immediate concerns after that with the Decepticons taking control of Cybertron."

"But, Prime," protested Daniel, "their deaths weren't your fault."

"I think I know that up here," said Optimus, pointing to his head. He then pointed to his chest, where his heart would be, "But I'm not sure I know it down here."

Daniel nodded, accepting Prime's story. However, little did either one of them realize that Ratbat was recording everything. Satisfied, Ratbat flew away.

Ratbat flew to the moon, where Soundwave was waiting for him. He transformed to tape mode and entered Soundwave's chest compartment. Elsewhere on the moon, Megatron asked Scrapper, "Is our new base finished?"

"Yes, noble leader," answered the Constructicon leader. "This will serve as our staging ground for attacking Earth."

"Excellent," said the Decepticon leader with a smile.

"Megatron." Megatron turned to see his second-in-command approaching.

"What is it, Soundwave?"

"Ratbat has some . . . curious information." He played back Ratbat's findings.

On the tape, Megatron heard Optimus Prime's voice say, "I've never forgiven myself for what happened that day. That little girl telling me how much she hated me."

With the playback finished, Soundwave asked, "Do you remember that day, about eight Earth years ago?"

It took a moment for Megatron to search his memories. But soon, it occurred to him. He smiled evilly. "Yes. I remember that day. So that same girl is living near Autobot City. But I never realized how deeply Prime was affected by it. Well, Optimus Prime, it seems the past is coming back to haunt you. And I intend to make sure you never forget that day or that girl." He then laughed.

The End?


	7. Episode 105

The Transformers

Episode 105: Prime's Redemption

The next day, once school was out, Daniel took his hover board and decided to visit Tara's house. Maybe he could make her see that the Autobots weren't mankind's enemies. He came to the address that he found in her file and landed. He left his hover board in a grass clearing by the driveway and walked toward the house. He rang the doorbell and waited. A gray-haired man, about as tall as Spike, answered the door. He asked in a half-gruff voice, "What can I do for you, young man?"

"Um, hi," said Daniel nervously. "You must be Harry James. Is Tara home?"

"Fraid not," answered Harry. "She's up in the mountains. She usually goes up there when she wants to be alone."

Daniel looked towards the mountains a short distance away before turning back to Tara's grandfather. "A girl could get hurt mountain-climbing all by herself."

The old man chuckled. "That's what I tell her all the time. But, you see, she got her daddy's stubbornness. When she says she's gonna do something, she's gonna do it."

Daniel nodded. "You don't mind if I go up there and talk to her, do you?"

"Suit yourself," answered Harry. "I don't mind, but she might. Now you be careful. She gets real feisty."

"So I've noticed." Daniel turned to leave then looked over his shoulder, not stopping. "It was nice talking to you, Mr. James."

"Anytime, kid. Anytime."

Tara was carefully stepping down the mountain, ready to go home. As she picked up her bike helmet, she heard a voice ask, "Where'd a Southern gal like you learn to climb mountains?"

Tara quickly turned and saw Daniel sitting on a rock nearby. She frowned and said, "You. Listen, boy, just because I talk slow doesn't mean I'm stupid."

Daniel chuckled to himself and said, "I've been waiting for you for almost an hour."

Tara responded, "Then you shouldn't have come." She then got on her motorcycle and tried to start it up, but to no avail. "What the?"

"Looking for this?" asked Daniel, holding a sparkplug. "Can't go home without it."

Tara looked at Daniel in shock. "How did you know to do that?"

"My dad and grandfather were mechanics. You don't grow up around them without learning something."

Tara took off her helmet and sighed. "Alright, what do you want?"

"I want to know why you hate Optimus Prime so much."

Suddenly infuriated, Tara grabbed Daniel by the shirt and pulled him close to her. "DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT MURDERER'S NAME IN FRONT OF ME! IS THAT CLEAR?"

"Okay! Okay!" said Daniel frantically. Tara kept her grip on him as she glared at him with an ice-cold stare. When she finally let him go, Daniel asked, "Now, would you please answer my question?"

"He killed my parents. He refused to save them. Is that good enough for you?"

"No, it's not," answered Daniel bravely. "I want you to tell me the whole story in your own words."

"Fine," said Tara angrily. She turned away from him and began. "My parents and I were working the fields of our farm. When all of a sudden, these giant insect-shaped monsters started eating our crops. Shortly after that, . . . the murderer and some of his cronies showed up and started fighting the bugs. We ran inside, trying to stay out of the crossfire. Next thing we know, our house is burning. One of the so-called 'heroes' runs in and picks me up. He then reaches for my parents but then the ceiling collapses, crushing my parents. As the flames rose up, he put his hand in front of his face, as if he could actually feel the heat. He takes me outside, and the fire truck robot puts out the flames. I then started pounding on the murderer's leg, letting him know how much I hate him."

When she was done, Tara turned back to Daniel. "There. Satisfied?"

"Not entirely," answered Daniel. "What do you mean by . . . ?"

Daniel never got to finish his question. Both teenagers heard a monstrous squawk. They looked up and saw Laserbeak flying towards them. He swooped down, picked up both of them, and flew away.

Back at Autobot City, Optimus Prime was talking to a couple of Autobots when Blurr approached. "Pardonme,excuseme,comingthrough! ImportantmessageforPrime! Urgent! MessagefromMegatron! Requesttospeaktoyoualone."

As the Autobot leader went to answer the call, Motormouth asked Spike. "What do you suppose Megatron's up to?"

"I'm not sure," admitted Spike. "But whatever it is, it can't be good."

Optimus entered his quarters and accessed the terminal. As Megatron's image appeared on the screen, Prime asked, "What do you want, Megatron?"

"That all depends on what you decide to do, Prime," answered the Decepticon leader. The monitor's picture then changed to a view of Daniel and Tara bound together with Energon chains. The were on top of a tall, rocky pillar in the desert. "As you can see, we have your friend Spike's boy. But do you recognize the girl? You should. After all, she is the one who accuses you of murder." Megatron laughed as Prime's shoulders slumped. When his laughter died down, Megatron continued. "Directly underneath them is a bomb. You have one Earth hour to make your choice: You can either surrender Autobot City to me and leave the Earth, or you can attempt a foolish rescue. Should you choose the rescue, you will be pitted against three of my finest warriors along the way. And if I know you as well as I should, I am sending you the coordinates. But heed this, Optimus Prime: If any of your Autobot friends interfere, the two fleshlings will not live to see another day. See you soon, Prime." Megatron laughed again as the transmission terminated.

Prime grunted in frustration and slammed his right fist on the panel beside the keyboard. He then hit a button and said, "Autobots, assemble in the meeting room immediately."

Once Optimus had filled everyone in on the situation, Spike said, "You can't fail, Optimus. Megatron's got my boy, not to mention Tara."

"I know, Spike," said Prime. "And if anything were to happen to them, I would never forgive myself."

"Remember, Megatron is using your emotions against you," said Carly. "I know you still blame yourself for what happened to Tara's parents, but believe me, it wasn't your fault."

"I know that," said Optimus. "But Tara doesn't. But you're right, I can't worry about that now. I have to do this." As he transformed to semi-truck mode, he said, "Wish me luck." He then rolled out without another word.

The two captured teenagers were sitting on the pillar, trying to find a way to get free, without much success. They were sweating profusely. Tara said, "Oh, boy, not only is the sun killing us, but we've also got a bomb to worry about."

"Guess our only hope is if Op . . . one of the Autobots saves us," said Daniel. "If Prime is the one to do it, I sure hope his emotions don't get in the way."

"Emotions?" asked Tara skeptically. "They're robots! They can't have emotions!"

"You don't know the Autobots!" Daniel retorted. "I have literally grown up around them all my life! They not only have emotions, they can also think and feel."

"You speak of them as if they're people."

"That's because in many ways, they are!" Daniel then said, "That's your problem Tara: your stubbornness. Your unwillingness to get the facts before you make a judgement. Tara, the Autobots and Decepticons aren't simply programmed to be good and evil. In more ways than one, they're good and evil because they choose to be. In more ways than one, they are just as human as we are. I know this. You don't." Tara was clearly speechless.

Optimus was driving through the desert when he saw a jet fly overhead. Optimus transformed to robot mode and held his gun at the ready. The jet transformed and landed, revealing himself to be Terradive. "Terradive's been looking forward to this. Terradive destroy Optimus Prime!" Terradive then yelled and charged. He punched Optimus clear in the jaw, knocking him down, and causing him to drop his rifle.

Prime sat up and rubbed his jaw. "Ow. You're not big on brains, but you're stronger than any Seeker I've ever fought."

"TERRADIVE NO NEED BRAINS! NEED ONLY MUSCLE!" Terradive then leapt into the air. The Autobot leader quickly leapt to his feet and hit Terradive with a hard uppercut just as he was nearing the ground. Terradive then sat up and fired his weapon. Prime was barely able to roll onto the ground, out of harm's way. He then got to one knee, grabbing his gun as he did so. He then fired, pumping three rounds into Terradive's chest and knocking him down. But the Decepticon jet wasn't through yet. He transformed to jet mode and took off, firing away. Optimus transformed to his vehicle mode and swerved, dodging the shots. He then opened up the back of his trailer and Roller, the scout car, rolled to the doorway. Roller fired his weapons, shooting Terradive out of the sky. Once Terradive crashed, Optimus transformed back to robot mode and went to check on him. He was down. Seriously wounded, but alive. Optimus nodded in satisfaction before transforming and moving on.

Prime had been rolling along for less than ten minutes when he saw Sixshot, in rocket car mode, rolling towards him. Optimus was suddenly under fire, but being in his vehicle form minimized the damage. However, he knew he couldn't just take it. He fought back with the weapons installed in his vehicular form. As they continued charging each other and firing, Sixshot said, "I've been waiting a long time for this, Prime!" Neither Transformer held back. Finally, they crashed, rolling over onto their sides. While Optimus transformed to robot mode and tried to sit up, Sixshot transformed to winged wolf mode and pounced on him. The Autobot leader tried to fight back but it was no use.

Holding the wolf's paws, Optimus knew he had to get free. He said, "I think it's time you saw the light," as he fired his eyebeams, finally knocking the six-changer off.

Sixshot transformed to gun mode and fired, saying, "I would never switch sides!" Optimus was able to dodge the shot and fired his rifle, causing Sixshot to transform to tank mode. He fired on Prime, but Prime leapt into the air and produced his energy axe. As he landed, he cut off the barrels of the tanks weapons. Then, using his tremendous strength, Optimus managed to pick Sixshot up and throw him at least fifteen yards away. Once he landed, Sixshot transformed to jet mode and took off. With his primary weapons disabled, Sixshot launched two missles. Optimus countered by firing his weapon and destroying them both. His trailer then appeared from subspace in battle-station mode. It fired, sending the jet hurtling down.

As he fell, Sixshot transformed to robot mode and landed on his feet. He then said, "Fine, I'll just crush you with my bare hands!"

As Sixshot charged him, Prime mumbled, "Where have I heard that before." He then fired his rifle, pumping round after round into the deadly six-changer. Finally, he fell. Optimus shook his head as he looked at the fallen Decepticon. "Sorry, Sixshot. I don't have time to tussle." As he transformed back to semi-truck mode and rolled off, he thought to himself, 'I sure hope my damages aren't too much for my automatic repair systems. I've still got one Decepticon to stop before I can hope to rescue Daniel and Tara.'

Ratbat had recorded both ordeals. From their new moon base, Megatron, Soundwave and a few gathered others were watching on the monitor. Cyclonus said, "He's already beaten two of our finest, sir. What now?"

"We wait, Cyclonus," said Megatron. "Prime's biggest challenge is up ahead." He smiled cruelly as he added, "And I do mean 'big.' However, in case Optimus does somehow survive his next challenge, I shall be heading to Earth to finish him off personally." He then exited the moon base, and took off for Earth.

As he was rolling along, Optimus could see the pillar where Daniel and Tara were being held in the distance. From the pillar, the two teens could see him approaching. Tara said, "There he is. Looks like we're gonna be saved."

"Somehow," said Daniel, "I don't think it's going to be that easy." Daniel was proven right as six robots walked out from some rock faces behind the pillar. They had been crouched down there, out of sight the whole time. "Oh no," said Daniel. "The Constructicons! I didn't even see them!"

"Looks like your so-called 'friend' is outnumbered," said Tara, with a hint of nervousness.

"You have no idea," said Daniel. Somehow, he just knew what was coming next.

As Optimus approached, he saw the Constructicons step out of their hiding places. He immediately stopped and transformed. "So, Megatron broke his word," said Prime with a sense of dread. The truth was, he knew quite well that wasn't the case.

"Ha!" said Scrapper. "Noble Megatron never breaks his word! Constructicons transform! Phase one!" Once the six Constucticons transformed to their vehicle modes, Scrapper commanded, "Transform! Phase two!" With that, they merged into a giant warrior.

The two teenagers saw this. Tara's jaw dropped as she watched. "Oh my gosh. What is that thing?"

"Devastator," said Daniel grimly.

"How's Optimus supposed to stop that?" asked Tara, using Prime's name for the first time. But Daniel was so worried about the slaughter he feared was coming that he didn't notice.

Instead, he simply said, "I don't know."

Devastator laughed and said, "You were saying, Optimus?" He then picked up his leg and tried to stomp the Autobot leader into the ground. However, Prime was able to leap out of the way. He fired his rifle, even though he knew it was no good. The shot simply hit Devastator, doing no damage. He laughed again and said, "Nothing defeats Devastator! Not even the great Optimus Prime!"

Devastator fired his gun, but Optimus transformed, minus his trailer and rolled between his legs. For all he was worth, he was simply no match for Devastator. He sped as fast as he could toward the pillar. He had an idea.

Seeing Prime and Devastator heading towards them, Tara asked, "What's he doing?"

Daniel was about to say he didn't know, when it occurred to him. "The bomb!" Optimus transformed to robot mode. He and the two teens were now face-to-face. With under two minutes left on the countdown timer, Prime grabbed the bomb with his left hand and the teens with his right hand. As he set Daniel and Tara on the ground, he absorbed the Energon, freeing them. However, Devastator was inching ever closer.

"Run!" ordered Prime as he put the bomb into the barrel of his gun. Daniel and Tara ran behind the farthest rock face from the pillar.

Devastator picked Optimus up and held him up so that they were face-to-face. Devastator laughed and said, "Farewell, Optimus." He was about to fire his eyebeams when Optimus fired the bomb into Devastator's face. The explosion caused Devastator to scream as he was split into the six Constructicons that composed him. Daniel shielded Tara with his body. But the rock face they were hiding behind started to crumble, burying them both. The Constructicons and Optimus Prime all fell to the ground, heavily damaged by the explosion.

Once the explosion died down, Tara managed to get out from under Daniel and the rocks. She looked at the carnage all around, including the fallen Constructicons and Optimus Prime. She realized that the one whom she had accused of murdering her parents had risked his very existence to save her and Daniel. "Daniel!" she realized as she looked at the unconscious boy. She checked for a pulse and was relieved when she found one. Then she saw a shadow on the ground. She looked up and noticed that a figure was descending. She looked around, looking for anything to use. It was then that she eyed Optimus' fallen rifle.

Once the dust settled, Optimus' optics powered up. However, the sight before him was a dreadful one: It was Megatron, an evil smile on his face and his fusion cannon pointed at him, ready to finish him off. "I must congratulate you, Optimus. You're still the same Autobot I knew: noble, compassionate, always willing to sacrifice yourself for what you believe to be the 'greater good.' That was your downfall once before, so it shall be again. It's over, Prime."

Megatron was ready to fire when a voice yelled, "Hey, tin-man!" He turned and saw Tara holding the barrel and trigger of his mortal enemy's weapon. "Think it over!" She then fired, damaging his right arm and knocking off his fusion cannon. As Megatron cried out in pain, Tara fired again, landing two straight rounds into his chest and knocking him down.

Prime slowly got up and walked over to Tara, picking up his rifle. He saw Daniel on the ground and said, "Daniel! Is he . . .?"

"He's fine," reassured Tara. "He's just unconscious."

Optimus nodded as Tara went to pick him up. He then walked to Megatron, who had managed to get to his knees, clutching his damaged arm. Prime then hit him in the head with the butt of his rifle, knocking him out. "Another time, Megatron." Optimus then attempted to transform. Because of his damages, it took some effort, but he was able to do it. He opened the back of his trailer and said, "Get in. We need to get Daniel some medical attention." Tara nodded as she balanced Daniel on her shoulder. Once they were inside, Tara laid Daniel down and sat next to him. The trailer closed automatically and Optimus rode away.

That evening, Optimus, Daniel, and Tara were at Tara's house. Daniel's head was bandaged, but otherwise, he looked unhurt. Tara asked, "How're you feeling?"

"I'm gonna feel some painful bruises in the morning, but I'll be fine. Also, Mom and Dad are gonna take me to get check-ups for the next few days, just in case."

Tara nodded. She then turned to Optimus Prime. She said, "Prime, I'm sorry for accusing you of killing my parents. Like my grandpa says, I'm as stubborn as my dad. Next time, I'll try to keep an open mind before I pass judgement."

Prime nodded and said, "Apology accepted. And to tell you the truth, I feel a lot better about it now. I feel as if, as you humans say, a weight's been lifted off my shoulders."

Tara smiled and said, "Glad to hear it."

Daniel then scratched the back of his head and asked nervously, "Uh, Tara . . . do you think, um. . . maybe this weekend, we could . . . um, go . . . climbing together? That is, uh, . . . if you want to?"

The Southern girl was surprised that he asked. She looked to Harry, who had been sitting on the front porch rocking chair drinking beer and listening to the conversation. He nodded. She smiled and turned back to Daniel. "Sure. That'd be great."

Daniel smiled, held her hand and said, "Thanks." Tara blushed at this. Optimus chuckled to himself as he transformed. This reminded him a lot of when Spike and Carly had first met. As Daniel walked toward the open cab, he kept looking at Tara and holding her hand. He held on until the distance between them forced them to let go. Daniel got in, belted up, and just stared out at the road as Optimus rode back towards Autobot City. Tara just watched and waved until they were out of sight.

The End


End file.
